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My Agenda Housekeeping & Preliminaries Putting It In Perspective Setting the Context Choosing….. A Personal Journey About You …..A Bit About Building A Plan to make it happen
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Choosing & Building The Right & Successful Career
Elikem Nutifafa KuenyehiaCorporate Lawyer & Management
ConsultantAdjunct Lecturer, GIMPA
Objectives of this session
• To assist you in making decisions about career choices
• Give you confidence to make those decisions
• Convince you that its OK if you don’t have an answer now.
• Give you an opportunity to ask questions
My Agenda
• Housekeeping & Preliminaries • Putting It In Perspective• Setting the Context• Choosing…..• A Personal Journey• About You• …..A Bit About Building• A Plan to make it happen
Housekeeping & Preliminaries
• 45 minutes?• Can’t exhaust topic…• …..Rather provoke thought• Interactive…..• …..BUT ONE conversation only• Ask….No Question is dumb
Quiz
• Where do most people aged between 26 and 55 spend the most time?
• AT WORK!!!!!!
Putting It In Perspective
• It is a jungle out there• Not enough put in career development• “Figuring out” some of the Questions gives
you an edge• Saves a lot of heartache later
Trends in University Enrolment (1994-2003)
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
6000019
94/9
5
1996
/97
1997
/98
1998
/99
1999
/2000
2000
/01
2001
/02
2002
/03
Getting On One Page
• Choosing vs. Building• Right Career vs. Successful Career• Career vs. Job
Choosing
Factors influencing Choice
• Ability• Money/Perks• Status• Challenge• Location/Travel• Family• Desire to serve• Personal Development Potential
Factors influencing Choice
• Job Security• Competition• Opportunity• (Apparent) Lack of Options
Choice Implies Options
• Best time to be Ghanaian?• New opportunities & Career Options• Employers Market?
Is there a right career?
Different Strokes For Different Folk
A Personal Journey
• Pilot, Entrepreneur, Doctor, • Below Average student. But Science?• Being blown along• Eureka….and Standing up• Falling in love• Success?• Law. Not Law. Then Law Again• But when I grow up?
So?.........• Corporate Lawyer• Management Consultant • Lecturer in Entrepreneurship @ GIMPA• Entrepreneur & Investor• Awarded Millennium Excellence/Newmont Ghana ‘Young
Professional of the Year 2006”• Co-author, Fortcoming book on entreperneurship• Non-Executive Director – Metropolitan Insurance, Chase
Petroleum, CreativeHub,• Advisory Board – SYOBL,PaceSetters • Mentor – Google Begin Believe Become
So?.........
• Confused?
• Should I have been a doctor instead?
• What do YOU think?
My Golden Rules
• It is YOUR DECISION• Without Passion don’t even think of it• Play to your strengths• Excellence Must Come As Standard
– Be the best that you can be. At WHATEVER you decide to do.
• There isn’t a ‘correct or right’ way• It’s a journey. Not a race……• ……AND its OK to change your mind
Typical Story? Or Just Plain Mad?
• More Typical than Mad• 1960 : 6 companies over working life• Today : Over 10 companies over working
life• Tomorrow?
Tomorrow?
• A young person entering the workforce in 2000…has almost no chance of working for the same company even a decade hence. – Peter Drucker
• Tomorrow’s typical career will be neither linear nor continous, nor will it always be upwards. Instead, one’s life will take more of a zig-zag course – Tom Horton
YOU?
About You• Understand your strengths & Play to them• Determine your weaknesses• Figure out your interests & passions
– Extra-curricular activities give clue– Passions, Interests, Causes– Past experiences
About You• Ask yourself some key questions• What are my strengths?• What are my weaknesses?• How do I perform? • How do I like to work?• What are my values?• What do I like/dislike?• Where do I belong?• What is important to me?• What motivates me?
The Long Range Plan
• Preparation should start long in advance. • Focus on getting the best grades that you can.• Participate in extra curricular activities/Hold
leadership positions.• Network and tap into your social contacts.• Based on “You” analysis, research jobs or
industries you may/may not be suitable for.• Start wide: Get as much understanding as you
can of different professions, jobs and industries.
The Medium Range Plan• Speak to as many people as possible
– Set up informational interviews – different companies/industries & different functional
managers.• Get some work experience (even unpaid) during
your long vacation.– Use opportunity to learn about relevant industry and
job opportunities.• Leverage the internet• Read & Ask Questions
The Short term plan
• Begin to narrow down the jobs/industries/companies you are interested in.
• Set up informational interviews in the company or companies you are interested in.
• Attend recruiting events.• Read newspapers especially Graphic and
look in job sections.
The Common Denominator• Evidence of achievement.• Ability to get along with people.• Creativity.• Initiative.• Communication skills – written and oral.• Humility.• Integrity.• Interpersonal skills.• ‘FIT’
Cannot Predict The Future
• But you can prepare for it– Making the most of university– Excellence (or the best that you can be) as
standard– Constant Learning & Renewal– Grabbing All The Opportunities you can get
Building• Long term focused• Incremental experiences• Kiss many frogs before your prince• Really, there is no rush• Foundation is most key• Set a career goal• No substitute for Hard work…Never Killed anyone• ‘On the Job” Experiences• Courses? • Managers/Line Supervisors?• Mentors?• Books/Internet
Something called FIT
• Strengths• Passions• People• Long term focused
Some Tools…..
• Personal Brand Equity• Personal Board of Directors• Plan-On-A-Page
• And A Good Dose of Common Sense
Tom Peter’s Words1. Mastery! (Best/Absurdly Good at Something!)2. “Manage” to Legacy (All Work = “Memorable”/“Braggable”
WOW Projects!)3. A “USP”/Unique Selling Proposition 4. Rolodex Obsession5. Entrepreneurial Instinct (A sleepless … Eye for Opportunity! 7. Play a dozen parts simultaneously, from Chief Strategist to Chief Cleaner)8. Sense of Humor 9. Comfortable with Your Skin (Bring “interesting you” to work!)10. Intense Appetite for Technology 12. Passion for Renewal, Learning & Development13. Execution Excellence!
From Tom Peters New Workplace survival rules
Putting it simply
• Passion• Self awareness and confidence • Relationships & Participation in the wider
community• Knowledge & Continuous Growth• A Plan• Integrity & Humility
Closing Thoughts
• …The choice should come from your heart. Ultimately, you are the one who has to get up every morning and enjoy what you are doing, so make sure it matters to you
- Dave Thomas. Founder of Wendy’s
The End
Questions?